Darling
by redpandasyndrome
Summary: "And there it was. It hung in the air and stuck to them like the smell of burning wood after a bonfire."


**I need to get my laptop taken away from me.**

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Regina didn't like nicknames. It felt a little impersonal to her, the way someone could easily substitute her name with something so general. It disgusted her that some found the terms _babe, sweetie, honey, _and horrifyingly enough, _pumpkin_, endearing. It felt a bit degrading for someone to call her those things and they made her stomach roll and formed a lump of nausea in her throat every time she heard someone use one. She didn't receive the title of the Evil Queen for nothing which she took pride in every now and then. She had a name and expected it to be used whether it was out in public at a town meeting or in the very privacy of her bedroom.

So when Henry had started to speak, his mispronunciation of just about everything caused Regina to simplify names of certain things. And when he began kindergarten, there were some words he just couldn't get his mouth wrapped around, his r's sounding more like w's, and a noticeable lisp that disappeared over time. It was cute in the way all children were when first learning to speak, but even then his ability to say mom was no trouble.

Then when a Miss Emma Swan decided to make an appearance in Storybrooke, she hadn't heard people call her Regina so often. It was always Mayor Mills or Madame Mayor and yet, when this blonde bail bonds worker showed up, people found it easier to say Regina. It irked her that some stranger was able to give the people of this town the push they needed to suddenly gain some courage. The fact that Emma Swan jumped between Regina and Mayor Mills made Regina a bit smug, though, believing that she instilled some fear in her.

But the problem started when somehow, in the midst of her rollercoaster of emotions and events that could've easily broken a weak Regina, they found themselves comfort in each other and their usual routine. It was always the jabs in an argument or being brushed off whenever one tried to talk to the other at Granny's but it was what they felt most comfortable with.

Yet here Regina was, living her life as it always has been, with one more person to make a few things a bit more complicated like whose turn it was to pick up Henry from school or who was going to the grocery store next. Suddenly, seeking comfort from each other and the usual seemed to change once more and the other's presence became necessary. It was still the same routine except Emma had stayed, whether it was for dinner or a movie night—or a sleepover.

The problem was that Regina's disdain for nicknames had begun to wane. She'd drop off coffee at the station and Emma would casually slip out a mere "thanks babe" that made Regina's eye twitch. Adamantly, she had told Emma that she wasn't a fan of nicknames and yet that playful smile and the slight fluttering of lashes followed by a "whatever you say, _babe_" would be all she got. Regina had never been in this position before. How could she tell the person she cared about that what the other found endearing made Regina want to tear her hair out and stuff it into her ears so she couldn't hear it? But each time Emma called her a nickname, it was sickeningly sweet and it began to wear her down.

Regina was horrified, though, when a Saturday night came around with just her and Emma finishing dinner. As she stood to clear the table, a hand caught her wrist and Emma grinned. "Let me."

As the blonde stood and began to clear the table, the sound of dishes clinking in the sink, Regina sank back into her seat and smiled softly. She leaned back into her chair, letting out a satisfied sigh, regardless of the sound of piling dishes. Her eyes popped open when she didn't hear the sound of the sink running, instead hearing a popping of a cork after a few minutes.

"You're not going to do the dishes?" She began to sit up, preparing herself to stand.

"No, I will. Just… not right now. Sit and take a load off." Emma made her way over with two glasses of wine, setting one down before Regina, brushing her lips to the crown of Regina's head for just a moment or two.

"Thank you, darling." And there it was. It hung in the air and stuck to them like the smell of burning wood after a bonfire.

Regina's mouth snapped shut, a frown tugging at the corner of her lips. Clearing her throat, she brought the glass of wine to her lips, taking a small sip and focusing on the wall behind Emma.

Emma merely watched Regina's face, a smile hidden behind her own glass of wine. Lowering her glass onto the table, Emma allowed her smile to grow smug when she finally made eye contact with Regina. "No problem, _babe_."


End file.
